The Ghana Health Service (GHS) in the North East Region has urged members of the public who have completed their second doses of the coronavirus vaccination to take booster jabs to enhance their immunity against the global pandemic.
The North East Regional Director of the GHS, Dr Abukari Abdulai, has said the country is not out of the woods yet and this must not elude those who have not yet taken their vaccines.
“Kindly permit me to reemphasize the fact that COVID-19 Pandemic is not over yet. It is still a global threat although significant gains towards containing the situation have been achieved”, he stressed.
Dr. Abdulai stated that it is a civic duty and responsibility for everybody to get vaccinated and also advocated for the vaccination of other eligible persons in the society, adding the vaccine is free and protective.
The North East Region since the beginning of the pandemic has recorded a total of 384 cases with 11 deaths.
Dr. Abdulai disclosed the last case we recorded in the region was on February 2, 2022.
However, there is no active case presently in the region.
Vaccination campaign
Meanwhile, Dr Abdulai said during a meeting with Journalists and the Regional Public Health Emergency Management Committee last Friday at Nalerigu that a total number of 40,885 persons have been targeted for vaccination in the region as part of the second nationwide vaccination exercise.
He has therefore announced a comprehensive door-to-door campaign at the community level, market places, mosques, churches and bus terminals as part of its strategy to get as many people as practicable vaccinated.
He disclosed the North East Region has received 15,400 doses of AstraZeneca, 40,452 doses of Pfizer as well as 16,800 Johnson & Johnson, totalling 72,652 doses for the exercise.
“As a region we have a target of 40,885 representing 13% of all eligible persons requiring at least one dose for this exercise. We are therefore using the campaign period to attempt at vaccinating all those eligible and they include persons yet to receive a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, a person due for a second dose or a person due for a booster.”
Appeal
Dr Abukari Abdulai has appealed to the media, Chiefs and Queen mothers, Pastors and Imams, the security agencies and Heads of Senior High Schools to support the campaign.
“We need the maximum support of all gathered here to ensure that the exercise is successful. Mr. Chairman, I will like to state that we have sufficient stock of COVID-19 vaccines on our hands and we need the input of all especially members of the Public Health Emergency Management Committee, the Media, our Traditional leaders, Queen Mothers, Pastors, Imams, the Security Agencies, SHS Heads (GES) to support us in getting our people vaccinated” he emphasized.
According to him, the widespread rumours and misinformation are still leading to the hesitancy and outright refusals which poses a huge a challenge towards the uptake of the vaccine especially among critical population groups, community influencers, professional groups, segments of the general population.
